Top for rumble seats of automobiles



Nov. 29, 1932. E. H. BENN TOP FOR RUMBLE SEATS OF AUTOMOBILES Original Filed Nov. 1, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 lnvenTor. Edward H B e n n b mmkw Anys.

Nov. 29, 1932. E. H. BENN 1,889,532

TOP FOR RUMBLE SEATS OF AUTOMOBILES Original Filed .Nov. 1, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnvenTor.

Edward H. Benn byM TTys.

Nov. 29, 1932. E. H. BENN 1,889,532

TOP FOR RUMBLE SEATS OF AUTOMOBILES Original Filed Nov. 1. 1929 .3 Sheets-Sheet 3 mg s:

I9 \0 l6 \5 K3 ,1 1 J 20 9 8 lnvenTor.

Edward H.Benn MMQM "2 sheltering purposes.

Patented Nov. 29, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE n EDWARD H. .BENN, 015' BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TORUMBLETOP CORPORA- TION, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A. CORPORATION OF-MASSACHUSETTS rorron RUMBLE snnrs or AUTOMOBILES Application filed November 1, 1929, Serial No. 404,120. Renewed October 25, 1932.

This invention relates to an improved and easily manipulated auxiliary, bodily shiftable, Vehicle top or canopy of the self-sustaining type adapted to shelter a so-called rumble? seat located Within the rear deck pit compartment of a roadster,coup or like body type of automobile; my improvements more particularly have to do with a novel disposi- 7 tion and effective control applied to a comparatively light-weight foldable top comprising a pair of fixed-length stanchions which when locked into their raised position, serve to rigidly supporta covered bipartite outrigger structure that extends rearwardly away from saidmain supports over the rumble seat and which structure is adapted to be readily collapsed forwardly against said stanchions to facilitate the passengers entrance to or egress from the seat. In addition, the said collapsed bow togetherwith its released stanchions is herein arranged to be bodily lowered'into the rumble seat compartment and shifted forwardly for storage in the front part thereof, when not needed for The present disclosure is not only applicable as new equipment but is also readily attachable to most used automobiles of the stipulated type without necessitating changes in theprevailing structure thereof. Such cars are conventionally equipt with a passenger or drivers compartment having a main top extending wholly forwardly from the back region of the front seat while its rear deck commonly provides for a two-passenger pit having a forwardly faced, transversely disposed rumble seat that is kept in a fixed rearwardly spaced relation to said front seat and access to which'passenger pit is usually '4 afforded through an upturned mouth of rectangular contour. The rumbleseat may be disposed below the deck level and its folding back arranged to close the pit mouth when 7 the rumble seat is not tobe used; V 1 Between the front drivers seat and the rumble seat, there is ordinarily found sufficient deck room under which my collapsed top may be stored without undue interfer ence with the rumble seat occupants. The

means whereby it is preferred to shiftably brace means other than my guide my auxiliary top out of or drop same into said stowage, may comprise a pair of runways mounted interiorly of the rumble seat compartment in adj aeency to the respective seat ends and these extend rearwardly upward from the lower front part of my stowage space for attachment to the deck.

The base end regionof each erected top stanchion may be pivotally associated with a suitable carrier, respectively adapted to slidably cooperate with said runways. Simple manipulative locking means are provided for retaining the top supports in raised position about the respective carrier pivots. It is preferred to bring the topmost ends of the raised stanchions into a substantially rectangular relation to the upper path of said runways and to releasably hold these stanchions in this forwardly inclined relationship. Such rigid mast-like disposition allows my outrigger bow structure to be conveniently extended rearwardly from said stanchions or to be broken down and folded thereagainst by one of the occupants' while seated in the rumble compartment, all without first requiring the unfastening of any supplemental stay straps. In the more modern cars, the transverse forward edge of the pit-mouth is likely to be carried well rearwardly until it substantially aligns with the forward edge of the rumbleseat. The resulting contracted neck-like entrance or passage-way afforded into said stowage space, tends in an earlier construction of which I have knowledge, to interfere seriously with the desired freedom of the top shifting movement. So far as I am aware, no earlier rumble seat'top has employed a collapsible.outriggerlbow because no means has heretofore been devised whereby a collapsed outrigger how can be conveyed over the knees of a seated passenger occupying the closely confined rumble compartmentynor. such in which the seated pas senger is enabled either to elevate a top of the cited character out of stowage'or lower the sameinto stowage. The present disclosure not only solves this perplexing problem but as a. further contribution to the prior art, the uppermost ends of the complementary runways ar carried through the aforesaid contracted entrance and rearwardly over the rumble seat in spaced relation to the aforesaid interfering pit-mouth edge so as to facilitate guiding the top into stowage. As an additional distinctive feature my stanchionlocking means are purposely kept disposed well forward with respect to the back of the rumble seat since this will allow the occupant most handily to manipulate the top members.

Being intended for use by the general publie, the mode of operation on part of a commercially successful device of this kind, ought to be obvious to the uninitiated in order to fulfill the needs of women as Well as men users. lVith this in mind, the more burdensome work of bodily lifting such auxiliary top has herein been adequately met; first, by the provision of a detachable stay-strap clasp associated with the seat back to hold down the erected outrigger bow against windage and which relatively light work of releasing said straps may readily be accomplished by 1 the cat occupant by reaching rearwardly,

and whereupon my foldable outrigger top member may l e conveniently collapsed for- "ardly over the heads of the seat occupants and against the respective stanchions. It is emphasized that prior to being lowered into stowage, all such folded top members are made to lie ahead of the occupants body; by new releasing the stanchion locks, my top may be easily dropped into its concealed position underneath the deck, which is readily accomplished by tilting the stanchions rearwarcly toward tne seated occupant and thence bodily sliding said top downwardly along the guideways.

A more arduous effort on part of a passenger occupying the rumble seat, is required during the reversed movement while bodily lifting said top out of stowage and into elevated position; the efiective solution of this aspect constitutes another outstanding feature of the present invention. My improved structure disposition is such as to make it possible for a seat occupant to perform this raising function at the best advantage in a natural unrestrained manner, and particularly in so far as convenience of operation and the minimum expenditure of muscular energy, are concerned.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the object of my invention is to devise an improved auxiliary top assembly of the char acter indicated which shall be bodily shiftable and constructed, mounted and otherwise adapted to be readily raised into shelter position over the rumble seat and capable upon reversed movement, of being stored away underneath the deck in front of the passengers, all such operations being performed while the top use remains comfortably seated in the rumble seat. 7

To this end and the accomplishment of other new and useful results, said invention further consists in novel disposition of top structure and all of which will hereinafter be set forth in detail.

In order to give an miderstanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a side view of a portion of an automobile having my improvements applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view of the supporting means for the top;

Fig. l is a section on the line 4-4., Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view of the upper end of the guide;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged View of the top frame showing how it is folded; i

Fig. 7 is a view of one of the runners;

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the top frame.

In the drawings 1 indicates an automobile of the conventional roadster or coupe type having a main or front passenger compartment designated as 1A and in which is mounted a transversely-disposed drivers seat 113 having a fixed forwardly-faced back 10. The tail end of said front compartment usually terminates in the vicinity of the back 16 as shown while the main top 1D reaches forwardly over the seat 13 in the conventional manner.

The automobile is also provided with the platform-like deck 5 which extends horizontally rearwardly from the back of the main top and this deck is provided with an opening 5A opening into a rear compartment or supplementary passenger-receiving pit 3 which is located beneath the deck 5 and which is separated from the main compartment by the inclined partition wall 1E as shown in dotted lines Fig. 1. Situated in the rear compartment or passenger-receiving pit 3 is a rumble seat 2 of usual construction which is generally arranged cross wise of the automobile and in a rearwardly spaced relation to the drivers seat 113.

interposed between the rumble seat and the front seat and located immediately behind the partition wall IE is a space 3A which serves as a foot space for the seat occupants and which also serves as a. stowage space for the top for the rumble seat which will be hereinafter described.

In the more modern make of cars the forward transverse edge 2A of the rumble seat is likely to be disposed in substantial vertical alignment with the front edge 5B of the opening 5A thereby providing a neck-like or contracted entranceway 313 leading from the seat space into said stowage space 3A.

The rumble seat 2 is ordinarily provided form :a weatherproof seal when the back is folded down to close the opening 5A. 7

Allof the hereinbefore described roadster orcou-p body structure conforms" to'conventi-ona-l practice, and the presentinvention is more largely concerned with providing a sup plementary top of the disappearing type,

adapted to shelter the rumble seat 2 in the manner previously outlined. 7

While any suitable type of foldable top may be used for present purposes, it is preferred to resort to one comprising a pair of fixed-length front bow side-arms or interconnectedmain support stanchions such as 8.

In the illustrative embodiment of my invention, a bipartite outrigger structure ispivotally supported upon the respective upper-end regions of my raised stanchion; when in operative position, a cover of fabric canopy 7 is intended to be snugly stretched thereover. The center region of my top cover is preferably arched upwardly as shown, and its appearance further enhanced by the use of a side quarter trim which may be carried down to conceal the extended outrigger bows therebehind. Theframe structure thereof may compriseone or more foldable bows such as the intermediate bow 9 and the rearmost bow 10, that are linked for coordinate movement and adapted. to be extendedrearwardlyfrom or to be collapsed forwardly against the raised stanchions8 into the alternative positions respectively indicated by Fig. 1 in full and in dotted outline. Y

The side arms of theintermediate bow 9 are .pivotally connected. to the upper end of the bow 8 by means of links .11 which are pivoted to the how 9 at 16 and to the upper end of the bow 8 at '15. The front end of each arm of the bow'9 is curved downward- 1y asshown at 12 and-is provided with a projection or looking pin18 adapted to engage a notch 14 formed in the bow 8 below the point 15 where the link 11 is pivoted thereto. Each leg of the overhanging outrigger bow 10 is pivotally connected to the rear end of the how 9 by .means of links 17, said links being pivoted to the side arms of the bow 10 at 18' and tothe bow v91at19. I

The arms of the outrigger bow 10 extend forwardlysomewhat beyond the links 17 and are provided with projections'20 adapted to fit into notches 21 formed in the bow 9. When top frame is spread as shown in Fig.- 1 it provides a trussed structure which will withstand any downward pressureapplied to the rear end of the top. The downward movement of the rear bow'lO is prevented because the front end of the bow is locked into the notches 21 and said bow is tied to the bow 9 by the link 17 Similarly, the downward movement of the bow 9 is prevented because'the bow is braced at one end against the how 8 at the notches 14 and the links 11 hold said bow in this position.

p The outrigger bow 10 has stay members 22 connected thereto which. are adapted to be clampedto the upper edge 23 of therear seat 4 by means of a suitable clamp device 24. So long as the upstanding bow 8 is rigidly held in position and the rear end of the bow 10 is connected to the seat 4 the top will present a rigid top frame. Any suitable clasp or clamp may beused to detachably tie down the free end of each stay member 22 to the back 4. In my co-pending application Serial No.

404,121, filed November 11, 1929 a certainlpreferred type of snap lever clamps is more fully described and maybe conveniently manipulated while the passenger occupies the rumble seat. c

When said stay members are held in place the top cover material 7-is intended tov be stretched taut and the outrigger structure becomes firmly reinforced against inadvertent lift, strong windage effect, or the like.

The top can easily be folded forwardly while the stanchions' 8 remain raised in their forwardly inc-lined mast-like prop position to give access to the rumble seatby first releasing or'unclamping the stays 22 from the upper edge 23 of the seat back 4 and then folding the bow-1O against the bow 9 and subsequently folding the bow 9 against the how 8 as shownin Fig. 6 and by dotted lines in Fig. 1. In thus folding the top, the bow-10 will be swung upwardlyand the forward end downwardly todisconnect the pins 20 from the notches 21 and the link 17 may then be swung forwardly as shown in Fig.

6. The folding of the bow 9 against the 'bow 8 involves raising the rear end of the bow 9 and thereby disconnecting the pins 13 from the notches 14 and then swinging the links 11 downwardly against the bow8 which will bring what is the rear end of the bow 9 in Fig. 1 against the upper end of the bow 8 and will bring the ends 12 of the bow 9 against the sides of the bow 8. This forward folding of the top can be readily ac-.

complished by the occupants of the rumble seat. The operation of spreading the top from its folded position can be carried out in the reverse manner, the bows 9 and 10 being swung back into the position shown in Fig. 1 and the pins 13 and 20 being engaged in the notches 14 and 21.

The top herein described is of the selfsustaining type and is kept rearwardly spaced from the main top without direct at tachment'or need of. support therefrom,

which disposition in turn facilitates access to the rumble seat and allows the operation of either extending or of folding the top to be readily accomplished by an occupant of the rumble seat compartment while remaining seated.

It will also be observed that the canopy or top when erected extends upwardly or forwardly beyond the upturned pit mouth 5A While the width of the top is kept within the confines of the pit size so as to permit the top when folded to be lowered into the compartment 3 through the opening 5A between the complementar 1 side drip troughs 28A as will be presently described.

My invention also comprohends a construction which permits the folded top to be bodily shifted into the stowage space 3A.. For this purpose I have provided a construction in which the lower end of the bows 8 are pivotally connected to carrier means or runners that are slidably mounted on guides 26 located within the compartment 3 and extending forwardly and downwardly from the opening or pit mouth 5A into the stowage 3A as shown in Fig. 1. These guides may be secured at their lower end either to the floor of the compartment or to the wall 1E near the floor as shown at 27 and their upper ends extend through the entranceway 3B and rearwardly over the transverse seat edge 2A and are secured to the channel-shaped frame 28 which surrounds the opening 5A leading to the compartment 3.

To this end, the bottom of each trough may be drilled to receive a fastening screw 41 and thus secure the terminal flange 26A in place. These simple concealed drillings for fastening the guides thereto represent substantially allthe machine work required to equip a used-car rumble-seat with my attachable auxiliary top. In raised position, said stanchions virtually become clamped to the respective longitudinal side edges 28A of the pit mouth, which in turn allows of using a relatively short fixed-length prop for a given canopy head room and renders my top suiliciently rigid against side-sway to withstand heavy windage effects.

These and other structural aspects of my guide rail and bow carrier means are more explicitly set forth and specifically claimed in the aforesaid copending application. For present purposes, it suliices broadly to point out that each base end 29 of the stanchions or canopy prep 8 is pivotally connected to their respective carriers through the medium of the clamping bolt 32 and thrust nut 33. The square shank 31 of said bolt is intended to slide lengthwise of the guide slot 34 formed in the guide 26 and also of the slot 36 formed in the carrier 25, so as to fall into registry with the locking notch whenever the carrier is placed into its uppermost guide position. Each carrier is further equipt with an upstanding brace arm 38 that is provided at its free extremity with a keyway 39 adapted to receive a cooperating lug 40 that extends laterally from the stanchion 8. When each such lug is latched into its respective keyway in the manner represented in Fig. 6 and the thumb screws tightened, then both stanchions will be rigidly interlocked in a forwardly inclined, rectangular relation to the path of their respective guide-bars 26. It is preferred to keep the topmost end of each guide way well rearward of the transverse pit edge 5B in order to obviate interference therewith while the folded top is being bodily shifted into stowage.

When the top is to be stored in the compartment it will first be folded as shown by dotted lines Fig. l and then the clamping nuts 33 will be loosened which will permit the stanchions 8 to be raised slightly thereby withdrawing the clamping bolts 30 from the notches 35, 37 and the pins 40 from the notches 39. As intimated, all of such operations are intended to be performed by the seated occupant of said rumble compartment. If now the released stanchions together with the folded outrigger, are swung rearwardly about the carrier pivots 32 and toward the body of the seated occupant, the carriers 25 may readily be slid down the respective guideways 26 toward the lowermost ends thereof; in the meantime the folded bow top portion of my top is shifted over the knees of the seat occupants and manipulated so as to slip underneath the overhanging deck edge 28 when it may be pushed forwardly toward the partition wall 1E into the stored position that is represented by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The transverse bow members of the folded top are preferably made to lie adjacent to the underside of the deck and retained in place by suitable straps or other fastening devices. The complementary stanchions are directed downward and are sutliciently spaced apart to provide unobstructed foot room for the seat occupants.

lVhen it is desired to raise the auxiliary top from stowage into shelter position all of the described operations are reversed. Since my light weight top lies wholly ahead of the rumble seat, it may be bodily elevated without undue muscular effort. In raised position, the props 8 stand well ahead of the seat occupant and out of direct line of vision when looking sidewards. If desired, the open front and side of my erected top may readily have storm curtains of the conventional kind applied thereto, the described rigid stanchions being particularly suited to the mounting of such additional protection against adverse weather.

By virtue of the improvements herein e1nbodied, a rumble seat top structure may be adjusted into different positions to suit individual preferences on the part f th Seat F'? occupants and when not needed, said top may be easily guided into storage space where it is placed wholly out of the way but kept ready for instant use. As a further refinement, the lid 4 may be made to close the pit mouth in a water tight manner and thus'shield both the rear compartment and its stored top from the elements.

It will be seen therefore that the problem herein solved teaches among other things, how a modern collapsible top of the bow-type can be constructed and mounted for use over a rumble seat or to be stored in the pit in front of the rumble seat, and conveniently operated to bring it into either one of these two positions by a passenger occupying said seat.

My auxiliary top structure is made selfsustaining, and the mounting of its erected props provides for ample lateral rigidity 7 against side or end sway without need of supplementary brace means suchas conventionally require attachment to the main forward top or its like; any such extraneous supports not only tend to deface the heat trim of car as a whole, but interfere with expeditious handling when it is desired to manipulate the rumble seat top.

As a further outstanding feature, the described rumble seat top can therefore be raised or lowered wholly independent of the main top 1D, and should the latter be of the collapsible type conventional to roadsters or the like, such tops can be independently folded back upon the deck 5 without any interference whatsoever with my auxiliary top.

It is to be understood that various changes in the structural details and mode of application iof my top may be resorted to in likewise carrying out my illustrative top embodiment as applied to rumble seats, all without departing fromthe spirit and scope of my invention heretofore described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims;

I claim.

1. The combination with an automobile equipped with a rumble seat having a back, of a top for the rumble seat comprising an upstanding front bow, a second rearwardlyextending bow, links connecting the second bow to the front bow near the top thereof, the ends of the second bow engaging the front bow below the link connection, a third bow linked to the second bow and also extending rearwardly, the endsof the third bow engaging the second bow in front of the link connection, whereby said second and third bows are braced against downward pressure, and means for detachably connecting the rear bow to the back, of the rumble seat, said sec-' ond and rear bows being foldable against the front bow when disconnected from the rumble seat.

2. A vehicle equipt with a deck-pit having an upturned mouth as defined by atransverse forward edge and complementary side-edges, a cross-seat disposed to lie directly beneath the pit month, said seat having certain marginal edges that substantially terminate in vertical alignment with the stipulated pit edges, a back for the rear transverse edge of said cross seat, a foldable top including a pair of stanchions, a bow linked to the stanchions near their upper ends and adapted to fold downwardly, against said stanchions or to be extended rearwardly from the stanchions to shelter said cross seat, means within the pit and below the deck for tiltably supporting said stanchions at points intermediate the length of the pit mouth, releasable retaining means rigidly upholding said stanchions against tilting, said stanchions when released and with the top folded thereagainst being movable into said pit through the pit mouth, and means within the pit for guiding said stanchions in their movement.

3. An automobile having a front passenger compartment, a deck-pit located at the rear thereof and provided with a pit mouth, a

drip trough surrounding said mouth, a rumble seat in said pit, said seat being located 1n spaced relationship from said passenger compartment to provide storage space between the rumble seat and said compartment, a unitary top structure of the collapsible type for said rumble seat, said top structure comprising fixed length stanchions, a bow pivoted to said stanchions near their upper ends and extensible rearwardly therefrom but foldable downwardl and forwardl therea ainst carrier means within the pit connected to the base region of each stanchion, a separate guideway for each of said carrier means, the respective guideways being disposed interiorly of the pit seating space adjacent to opposite seat ends and extending from the bottom region of said storage space obliquely upwardly and rearwardly over the forward longitudinal edge of said rumble seat into substantial abutment with the bottom of said drip trough, and means to secure the upper ends of said guideways to said drip trough.

4. An automobile having a front passenger compartment, a deck-pit located at the rear thereof, a rumble seat in said pit, a back for the rumble seat, a foldable top for the rumble seat, said top comprising fixed-length stanchions, bows linked to the stanchions adjacent their upper ends and extensible rearwardly from the stanchions and foldable downwardly and forwardly against the stanchions, carment with the deck at points between the front and rear of the pit mouth, means for locking the carrier means in position at the upper end of the guideway means and for locking the stanchions in rigid relation with the carrier means, and stay straps connected to the rear of the top structure and adapted to be detachably secured to the edge of the rumble seat back.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

EDWARD H. BENN. 

